Denmark among first EU nations to sign Paris climate deal

The government has announced that Denmark will ratify the Paris climate agreement in the not too distant future.

As of now, France is the only EU nation to have signed the climate deal, and Denmark will follow suit after the summer holidays, according to the energy and climate minister, Lars Christian Lilleholt.

“The government wants to send a clear signal to the rest of the international community that there is a need for quick action and to give credibility to the Paris climate agreement,” said Lilleholt.

“By ratifying the Paris agreement as soon as possible following the summer break, Denmark will be one of the first EU nations on board and we will press for other member states and the EU in its entirety to sign on as soon as possible.”

By signing the agreement, all of the world’s nations are duty-bound to develop national climate strategies that aim to reduce their emissions. Thus far, 189 nations have proposed climate plans that cover 95 percent of global emissions.

The agreement contains a long-term target of maintaining the global temperature well under 2 degrees with recommendations to limit the temperature to 1.5 degrees.

The Paris agreement will come into effect 30 days after at least 55 nations, covering at least 55 percent of the global emissions, have implemented their ratification instruments.